Laurie Anderson has been awarded the insignia of Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. She and author Jay McInerney were presented the award by French Cultural Counselor Bénédicte de Montlaur in a ceremony held at the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in New York City in October. The Order of Arts and Letters was established by the French government in 1957 to recognize distinguished artists and writers who have contributed significantly to furthering the arts in France and throughout the world.

"At the forefront of the avant-garde art movements of the 1970s and '80s and currently paving the way in the realm of virtual reality, the question with you, Laurie Anderson, always seems to be, 'what will you think of next?" said de Montlaur. "You have challenged our conception of what music is, you have created new connections between visual art, music and performance, and you have helped to define a new relationship between art and popular culture ... Indeed, your career has always been characterized by this sense of fearlessness and a desire to explore unknown territories."

In presenting Anderson with the insignia, de Montlaur went on to say: "Laurie Anderson, for your outstanding contributions to the art world through performance, art-making, writing, musical composition, filmmaking, and invention, it is my honor to present you with the Order of Arts and Letters."

Read more of Cultural Counselor de Montlaur's remarks and see additional photos from the ceremony at frenchculture.org.